Lantlôs - .Neon
Prophecy
Post-Metal with Black Metal elements
6 songs (39:41)
Release year: 2010
Lantlôs, Prophecy
Reviewed by Vrechek

Am I the only one who thinks Lantlôs is hardly Black Metal at all? They're billed as such, and to someone who doesn't really know what Black Metal is it might seem as such, but unless there has been a major stylistic change since their self-titled debut (which I have not heard), then there's hardly a shred of real Black Metal to be found with this band. Well, that's not exactly true, there is some, hence why I call this Post-Metal with Black Metal elements. However, it is necessary for me to point this out as some of you might go into this with false expectations, leading to a disappointing listen.

I soon realized a couple songs into my first spin of .Neon that it was pretty much Post-Rock played in a Black Metal style, complete with blast beats, shrieking vocals, and a blurry, distorted, and washed out guitar tone. Most of the riffs are high and uplifting, soaring with glorious and joyous melody, which is the main reason I refuse to call this Black Metal. There's no hate, no evil, and no danger. This is almost completely devoid of one of the key elements of all “real” Black Metal. Even deeply introspective and ethereal Ambient Black Metal such as Hvis Lyset Tar Oss has far more bite to it than .Neon, which is simply too nice for it's own good (screamed vocals be damned). The closest this gets to a truly Black Metal sound is on the final track, Neon, which employs more dissonant chords than you've heard all album long as well as a rather bleak atmosphere.

That being said, just because this isn't Black Metal doesn't mean it's bad. Sure it's not the best: there are transitions so sloppy they would make Opeth blush, the vocals both harsh and clean don't really fit the atmosphere of the album, and a great deal of what you hear is forgotten upon finishing each song, but .Neon is still a quite satisfying listen. You can't help but be inspired by Lantlôs' audacity in their compositions, utilizing straightforward songs that are cheaply made to feel “Progressive” by being broken up with clean guitars, marching drums, or soft and jazzy breaks at random intervals with no warning or buildup. .Neon is boldfaced and cheeky in flaunting its faults, and as much as I should hate it I can't help but find myself humming along to the grandly textured riffs that permeate the album.

Pretty much every song on here is quite good in its own right; the strengths and flaws of the album seem to be spread out quite evenly across each one. Neon comes off as a bit out of place considering the tone of the rest of the album, but is, as I said, the closest you're going to get to Black Metal so I suppose it is worth something. My personal favorite cuts from this album would probably be These Nights Were Ours for managing to pack quite a punch in the shortest song here, and Coma for some creative guitar work and a mix of heavy, sometimes dissonant chords as well as the trademark beautiful, emotional riffs.

This is just one of those albums that on paper should not work all that well, but manages to come off quite splendidly in practice. While .Neon won't last an unlimited number of listens, its marginal uniqueness, functionality, and adequate amount of hooks will keep me coming back for awhile longer.

Killing Songs :
These Nights Were Ours, Coma
Vrechek quoted 82 / 100
Other albums by Lantlôs that we have reviewed:
Lantlôs - Melting Sun reviewed by Neill and quoted 40 / 100
Lantlôs - Agape reviewed by Jaime and quoted 72 / 100
Lantlôs - Lantlôs reviewed by Goat and quoted 78 / 100
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